Electric fixture for tubular fluorescent lamps



2 Sheets-Sheet l M. W. SCHWARTZ ET AL ELECTRIC FXTURE FOR TUBULARFLUORESCENT LAMPS Dec. 12, 1950 Filed Dec. 2, 1946 De@ 12, 1950 M. w.SCHWARTZ ETAL 2,534,182

ELECTRIC FIXTURE FOR TUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Filed Deo. 2, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TCR Patented Dec. 12, 1950 ELECTRIC FIXTURE FORTUBULAR FLUORESCENT LAMPS Martin W. Schwartz and Max J. Marks, Chicago,Ill.

Application December 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,420

(Cl. 24-0-5L11) Claims.

This invention relates to an electric lighting xtureffor straighttubular lamps of the uorescent type, and is more particularly describedas a relatively flat lighting xture particularly intended for wall andceiling installation, but may have a more general use whereverapplicable.

Lighting nxtures for fluorescent tubes are often subject to theobjection that they project toofar from their mounting plate, that is,from the wall or ceiling to which they are applied, and thus present acumbersome, sprawling type of xture which occupies too much space andhas a crude and unfinished appearance.

The present invention overcomes these objections by providing a threelamp fixture in which the tubular lamps and their supports are groupedclosely together in compact relation and have a common reector which notonly directs light rays downwardly and outwardly from the fixture, butalso directs a portion of them toward the back of the iixture forilluminating the wall or ceiling to which the xture is applied, thusavoiding a dark space surrounding the xture and utilizing almost theentire lighting eiiect of the lamps.

Tubular lamps of this type reduire mounting sockets and ballasts ortransformers Afor starting and maintaining'them in operation, and theseare most conveniently housed within the lamp itself. It is a particularobject of the present invention to dispose these mounting sockets,ballasts, and starting devices in such locations that they will becompactly housed within the Xture itself, supported by the mountingplate and so disposed that they do not project materially therefrom sothat the lamps are in a relatively flat arrangement, not projecting orprotruding from the wail or fixture in an objectionable manner. Thisparticularly adapts the fixture for use in rooms with low ceilings andfor wall fixtures, but they may also be used in other locations andarrangements.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and willbe apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view looking at the top of a xture in accordance withthis invention, parts of one end being broken away for showing the lampmounting means;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the fixture shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the iixture;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the xture as taken on theline 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one end of the mounting plate;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one end of the reiiector;

Fig. 7 is a perspective of one end of the enclosing end caps; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective of one of the end socket mounting plates.

The present invention is particularly designed and intended for a threelamp mounting fixture in which one of the mounting sockets extends atright angles to the other two which are disposed oppositely andoutwardly therefrom. With this arrangement, the lamps may be disposedsubstantially in alignment or the middle one slightly below the othertwo resulting in a flat compact arrangement of the lamps and theirmounting means so that a common reiiector may be extended between them,the reflector and the end mounting plates providing space for receivingthe starter sockets, ballasts, and transformers which are necessary forfluorescent lamps of this type.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a lighting fixture ofthis type comprises a back mounting plate ID, a reflector I I, a pair ofend plates I2, and a pair of enclosing end caps I3.

Each end plate I2 has bent sides I4 with socket openings l5 therein; inthe relatively lower edge centrally of the end piece is a curved recessIS through which one of the lamps extends and cut and bent downwardlyfrom the opposite edge forming a recess Il is a mounting portion I3 fora lamp socket having a socket opening I9. At the sides of the recess I'Iand bent at right angles to the plate are mounting platforms 20.

Through each of the socket openings I5 and I9 in each of the end platesI2, a lamp socket 2| is inserted and secured in place to the adjacentend wall by means of a fastening screw 22. Connected between the lampsockets of the opposite ends are a central lamp 23 and two side lamps24. Since the sockets for the side lamps extend oppositely through thesocket openings I5 at the sides of each end plate, and the socket forthe central lamp extends downwardly at right angles to the side sockets,they may be substantially in alignment or the central lamp may bemounted slightly below the other two to produce a more pleasing effectin the fixture, all of the sockets being compactly arranged on the endplates so that the sockets and ends of the lamps are covered and.enclosed by the end caps I3. Each end cap may be removably mounted onthe fixture by means of a screw 25 inserted through the end cap and intoa threaded perforation 26 of a flange 21 turned downwardly from theinner edge of the end plate mounting portion I8.

To secure the end plates together in spaced relation, the top mountingplate IIJ has end flanges 28 which overlap the inner edges of themounting platforms 20, these flanges accurately positioning the endpieces with respect to the mounting plates and the mounting plate beingsecured to the mounting platforms in any suitable manner, but preferablyby spot welding them together.

At the sides of the top plate are inwardly inclined flanges 29 forreceiving corresponding inwardly bent edges 3B at the opposite upperedges of the reflector i I. This reflector is formed with anintermediate curved portion 3| adapted to ex- 3 tend over the centrallamp 23 and downwardly at the sides and spacedY therefrom, thence bentupwardly and outwardly to provide outer reflecting surfaces 32 extendingoutwardly toward the outer lamps 2li about midway of' the verticalheight thereof when disposed in a horizontalposition as shown in Fig.cl; and thence the sides are bent inwardly to provide reflectingsurfaces 33 extending inwardly and upwardly and terminating in the bentflanges 30.

With this construction, all of the lamps give direct illumination, thelight from the central lamp 23 is reflected downwardly by the curvedsurface 3 l the inward rays from the lamps 2li are reflected downwardlyfrom below the horizontal centers of the lamps by the reflectingsurfaces 32, and the light rays from above the horizontal centers ci thelamps are reflected upwardly and against a ceiling or wall to which thelamp is attached by the reilecting surfaces 33.

This construction also provides a space at the ends within the endplates and covered by the caps i3 for lamp starting devices notspecically shown but commonly used with tubular ucrescent lamps, andbetween the reliector l i and the top mounting plate lil for ballasts ortransform-ers 3G. These particular devices form no part of the presentinvention, but since they are necessary to the successful operation ofthe xture, suitable spaces must be provided for mounting them compactly,or the fixture will become cumbersome and' will lack the compact andneat appearance which is desirable in a iixture of this type.

In the top plate, a central mounting opening 3l is provided forreceiving a nxture stem and other openings are commonly provided in theplate for securing and mounting the ballasts t-thereto.

Although this construction is particularly intended for a three lampxture, it may also be varied for receiving similar arrangements of twoor more lamps. Although a particular construction is thus described, itshould be regarded by way of illustration and not as a limitation, sincevarious changes in the construction, combination, and arrangements ofthe parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

We claim:

1. In an electric lighting xture for straight tubular lamps, a pair ofend plates and connectingv means supporting them in spaced apartrelation, each end plate having a recess in one edge larger than a lamptherefor, the opposite edge being bent outwardly, and two opposite edgesat right angles thereto also bent outwardly, the bent edges havingrsocket receiving perforations therein, sockets mounted in theperforati'ons and the two opposite ones extending outwardly, and lampsmounted in corresponding sockets of the vend plates and projectingbeyond the end plates at both. ends.

2'. In an electric lighting fixture for straight tubular lamps, a pairof endy plates and connecting means supporting them in spaced apartrelation, each end plate having a recess in one edge larger than av lamptherefor, the opposite edge being bent outwardly, and two opposite edgesat right angles thereto also bent outwardly, the bent edges havingsocket receiving perforations theresockets mounted in the perforationsand the two vopposite ones extending outwardly, lamps mounted incorresponding sockets of the end plates and projecting beyond the endplates .at both ends, and a cap for each end of the fixture tting overthe sockets and lamp ends. and overlapping theend plates.

3. In an electric lighting fixture for straight tubular lamps, a pair oflamp supporting end plates,.each end4 plate having a lamp recess in oneedge and three bent and perforated socket receiving edges, socketssecured in the perforations for holding the lamps, the central lampextending through the recess of each plate and the othersat the outeredges of the plates, a reector betweenl the end plates rounded inwardlyaround the central lamp and extending outwardly toward the innermid-portion oi the other lamps and inclined inwardly from themid-portions of the other lamps, and a cap covering the ends of thelamps and the sockets therefor and also the end plates.

fl. In an electric lighting xture for straight tubular lamps, a mountingplate and two lamp supporting end plates connected thereby, a reflectorhaving two opposite outwardly extending angular portions joined andspaced apart by an int-.fardly rounded portion, a lamp recess in oneedge oi each end plate, means at the outer side ci each end plate forsupporting three lamps, one r` vvtending through the recess and theother two at e out de edges oi the end plate, the central lamp seated inthe rounded portion of the re- Lijiector, and the two outside lampsbeing substancentered with the outer angular edges ci angular portionsof the reflector.

5. In an electric lighting fixture for straight tubular lamps, asupporting top plate, a pair of end plates secured to ard spaced apartby the top plate, a reiiector having side angular portions extendingoppositely outward and joined by an inwardly rounded portion, thereflector disposed between the end plates and secured to the top platehaving a central space between the rounded portion and the top plate forlamp ballasts and transformers, each end plate having a rounded recesscorresponding to the inwardly rounded portion of the reflector, lampsocket mountingY means at the outside ci eachmounting plate, lampsockets secured therein, lamps mounted in corresponding sockets at thetwo ends, the two outer lamps being at the outside edges of the endplates and thecentral one between them in the inwardly rounded portionof the reflector and extending through the rounded recess o the endplates, and cover caps extending over the lamp ends and the end platesleaving spaces between the lamp sockets for lamp starting devicessupported by the end plates.

MARTIN SCHWARTZ. MAX J'. MARKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patentz.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,224,512 Johnston Feb 24, 19422,293,672 Beckman Aug. 181'942 2,323,002 Baker June29, 1943 2,3391) 10.Greenwald Jan. 11, 1.944 2,362,091 Parlato Nov, 7,1944 2,379,793 GuthJuly 3, 1945 2,381,452 Hrabak Aug. V'7, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Cataloguello. 32, Garden City Platingk Co., copyright 1939, page 22. (Copy inDiv.65 of this Oice.)

